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The 5 things you
need to consider
1. Why are you attending
the show? Brand aware-
ness, leads, sell product,
new to market? Get clear
on this because it will
impact everything you do
from design, staff training,
interactives -- everything!
2. Think of each event
like a product launch.
How can you create a
campaign out of your
attendance? Generate
excitement in the lead up
to the show and if possible
allow for multiple touch
points setting the expec-
tation with a call to action
so your visitor adds you to
their 'must see' list.
3. Get the team on board.
You need to be dedicated
to the whole process, not
just show day.
4. What's your key mes-
sage? Even if you're brand
is a household name that
will bring in crowds regard-
less, the quality of your
visitor will greatly improve if
your key product offering,
feature or benefit speaks
directly to your audience.
For smaller businesses this
is the most important bit of
advice I can give you. If
you can't contact people
in the lead up to the show
because you're new to
the market, what would
you say to a new client?
This is what you have to
represent visually so they
can see it walking by.
5. Pre-show marketing:
Make this a must. Start at
least two months before
the show so you can get
in front of your market a
few times. Most people
have the best intentions of
showing up, but life gets
in the way. Make your
theme/brand recognisable
because it's human nature
to look for patterns so it will
start to look familiar.
trying to be all things to all people. They want
to display everything and their message gets
diluted. It becomes too hard for the visitor to
digest, so they walk on by.
Gone are the days where people would
spend a whole day at a show, stopping at every
booth and listening to every offer. This thing
called the Internet showed up and quickly
became the vehicle we turn to for answers.
By simply reaching into our pockets, Google
delivers us instant answers. The process has
eliminated the need to make a note for later.
This change has impacted our expectations
(along with our patience). Brand engagement
software, Marketo, point out that 'in a society
where people see about 3000 messages every
day, consumers are learning to tune them out.
Of the 3000, a person will remember --- by the
end of the day --- an average of four'. With this
in mind, the challenge is to be one of those four.
It's natural for a visitor at a show to skim the
aisles to see what speaks to them or connects
with them. That's why engagement is such a
hot topic in marketing today. The more auto-
mated everything becomes, the more personal-
isation we crave. The sad fact is that you might
have a brilliant product with a delivery that just
doesn't meet those expectations. We are all now
trained to sideline it into the 'too hard basket' if
we can't quickly determine its benefit to us.
The terms User Experience (UX) and Brand
Engagement are trending for good reason.
Sophisticated marketers understand that
personalising communications helps people
relate to a brand as an individual. It's one of
the most effective ways to connect with people
and why exhibitions can work so well. Funnily,
it's also why some think they don't work -- they
don't make it an experience the visitor values
enough so the exercise is a flop.
When asked what they remembered most
about a show, visitors said it was the people (not
the gimmicks, the designs or the giveaways).
This only further confirms the need we have to
be treated like individuals not numbers or leads.
So how you do get on a visitor's 'memorable
four' list?
It's essential that the interactives and brand
engagement strategies you select for a show
relate to your brand and help with achieving
your objectives. We've all seen the games and
food giveaways, but for real impact you need
something that moves you towards a clear
goal. For most this will be customer profiling
or more leads/sales, but never underestimate
the power of a staffing game plan.
Themes can be difficult in any business, let
alone big corporates with strict guidelines, but
there is a lot to gain from pushing the enve-
lope. Doing what's expected is, well, expected.
Exhibitors are faced with a huge challenge
to stand out and without alarming people, a
theme or experience is a great way to pique
interest and hold the attention of a visitor. n
Stand rules
The engagement factor is a huge part in the
success of your show, but the second biggest
opportunity lies with your staff:
Team strengths -- Play to their strengths. Put
chatty people up the front and product ex-
perts at the back for detailed discussions.
Game plan -- Make sure everyone has a role
and takes responsibility for it.
Make it snappy -- Given the ratio of visitors
to your staff, you need to ensure your team
isn't talking to people they already know
for an excessive amount of time (easily
done if they aren't comfortable with their
role). If they talk to each person for 20 min-
utes, they are maxed out at three per hour.
Stand rules -- We all know the basics (don't
eat on the stand, don't answer the phone,
etc.) but it's worthwhile to gain clarity around
your own stand rules. I recommend creating
a roster so staff get breaks for personal time
as well as checking emails/calls or seeing the
show themselves) so they are 100 per cent
focused when manning the stand.
Sales training -- While obvious for some,
many people struggle with reading body
language or telltale signs that show some-
one is keen to talk further. At the very least
bringing this to the attention of your team
makes it top of mind for show day and en-
sures visitors feel serviced.
An example of
pre-show collateral
10 Spice February 2016
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